How has everybody been doing this week?

Have things perhaps been slightly less frantic these past seven days? By which I mean less stuff seems to have been changing as quickly as it was the previous week. One suspects that many dealers will have settled into a routine of what they feel is the right course of action for their business right now.

As for us, Service Dealer convened another industry think thank, Zoom meeting on Wednesday morning. Again attended by manufacturers, suppliers, business support services and trade associations, we were pleased to welcome to some new additions to the chat this week who were unable to make the first one.

You may have already read elsewhere in today's Weekly Update that next Wednesday we are going to hold a similar conversation, but with dealers who will represent a cross section of machinery specialisms (agriculture, commerical grasscare and domestic garden machinery). If you were interested in contributing to the session, please let us know.

Don't worry though if you can't make it, we'll be reporting on what comes out of the session in an edition of this Update to be published next Thursday (because next Friday is Good Friday and it'll be nice to keep some sense of normalcy!).

Regarding Wednesday's call, we heard that since the addition late last week of "Agricultural supplies shops" to the government's official list of retail outlets exempt from closure, there has indeed been some more clarity for dealers of farm machinery. Showrooms perhaps might be closed in many cases, but parts supply and workshops required to keep farmers farming, are in the main ongoing - of course observing the strict social distancing requirements which are mandatory for all.

Where there appeared to be less positive news is with dealers of domestic garden machinery and, in particular, commercial grasscare machinery. The figure which was mentioned anecdotally a couple of times, was that certain manufacturers believed that around 70% of their dealers of these types had taken the decision to close their doors completely.

It was thought that domestic machinery dealers with a robust online sales offering were managing to serve customers - meeting at the gates of premises, dropping things off at a safe distance etc. There still appears to be a demand amongst customers stuck at home to maintain their gardens.

However, where there has been more of a grinding to a complete halt, is with commercial grasscare. This is of course due to the professional end-users simply are not working - or at least not working on grass cutting duties at the moment. The golf course sector in particular was cited as an area of great concern, with unfortunately a very tough time predicted to be ahead of it.

Where dealers are scaling back their operations currently, the advice would be to familiarise yourselves with the government's guidelines regarding furloughing staff. There are some useful links in today's Update here.

The advice is that if workers are furloughed, then they are unable to perform any paid-for work for the duration. What they are able to do however, is volunteer work.

Regarding this, there was lots of talk on Service Dealer's call this week that many dealership workers would posses skills which could be very much desired locally. Those in rural areas, who know how to drive tractors or operate machinery, could very well be in a position to assist farmers who are crying out for help right now. Or perhaps dealership vans which aren't in constant use currently, might be able to be put to good use?  It was felt that our sector was in a good position to offer genuinely useful help to the community.

Above all the loudest message was once again, continue to monitor and to obey the government guidelines. Things might change if lockdown restrictions become tougher, but right now the official advice still remains, if you can't do you job from home, you can go into work - being sure to observe the known safety requirements. With the wording on the retail outlets closure exemptions list, dealers are still able to interpret for themselves whether they choose to open or not.

As always we want to hear from readers. Please feel free to comment under this or any article. Our intention is as ever, to keep you updated on your industry.

Stay safe.

Service Dealer held another Zoom meeting this week, convening manufacturers, suppliers, business support services and trade associations.

Taking place on the morning of Wednesday 1st April 2020, the session was attended by trade associations AEA, BAGMA and IAgrE - and senior representatives of the following companies:

• AGCO
• Catalyst Computer Systems
• FGM Claymore
• Hayter / Toro
• Husqvarna
• Ibcos
• Iseki
• Kramp
• Kress
• Kubota
• Makita
• Price Turfcare
• Stiga

You can read a summation of the conversation in the editor's blog today, with once again the main take away being that dealers need to be following the most up to date government guidelines regarding opening and the furloughing of staff.

Service Dealer owner Duncan Murray-Clarke said after the meeting, "Once again we feel had very productive and helpful discussion. 

"We are as ever, most grateful to the trade associations and companies who gave their valuable time to attend, with the intention of bringing some clarity to what is an ever evolving and confusing situation".

Next week Wednesday, Service Dealer will be holding a similar Zoom session comprised of dealer representatives. It will be a forum to share recent experiences and voice concerns.

If any readers feel they would like to contribute to the session please get in touch.

We shall reporting on what was said in an edition of this Weekly Update to be published next Thursday (ahead of the Good Friday bank holiday).

STIHL GB, with its head office in Camberley, Surrey, has supported its local NHS Trust by donating essential PPE to key workers.

With forestry and landscaping professionals utilising transferable PPE gear, STIHL were on hand to donate 500 pairs of safety glasses and 40 face visors to NHS workers battling the Covid-19 pandemic on the front lines.

A message on the company's official Twitter feed said, "Thank you to all of the NHS who are working so hard to save lives at this time."

Land-based Education and Training Committee (LE-TEC Ltd) say they are proud to announce the top 3 winners of their Technicians For 2020 competition.

Designed to celebrate and find the UK’s best Technicians in the Land-based Engineering sector, entrants submitted a short video explaining three aspects of themselves; who they were, how long they have been a Land-based Technician and why they enjoy their day-to-day job.

First place video - Will Twigg

As an industry collaboration, the LE-TEC Ltd judging panel consisted of the Institution of Agricultural Engineers (IAgrE), British Agricultural and Garden Machinery Association (BAGMA) and the Agricultural Engineers Association (AEA). Aiming to highlight the skills and love for the sector, the judges say they were overwhelmed by the number of fantastic entries received and after much deliberation they shortlisted their top videos and settled on a top three.

CEO of the AEA Ruth Bailey, explained the initiative behind the competition, saying, “Recruitment, as within many industries has been difficult in recent years, and our industry is an absolute gem but one that is little-known outside of industry circles. We now feel we’ve found some fantastic champions for our industry through this competition and we cannot wait to work with them further.”

Second place video - Matthew Branson

Ed Hansom, CEO of IAgrE continued, “Technicians are the backbone in any engineering organisation. They are the ones who fix the problem, who commission the equipment, who explain to the trainee and who work with the customer. This award showcases the very best in our agricultural engineering technicians and why a career in this industry can be so rewarding”.

The judges top three videos consisted of George Nowell from Kubota UK in third place, Matthew Branson from AgTech Engineering in second place, and Will Twigg from Ripon Farm Services coming in first place.

Third place video - George Nowell

All three videos display incredible passion for their work and just how rewarding a career in Land-based Engineering can be. Prizes included tickets to Northampton Saints Rugby, Silverstone F1 Grand Prix and a power tool kit and radio from Makita.

Technicians For 2020 winner Will Twigg from Ripon Farm Services said, “It’s always hard to find staff so promotion of how good the industry actually is to work within would be a great idea and one that I will fully support.”

Judges shortlisted videos montage

LE-TEC hope to run this competition further so if you missed out this time, there could always be a second chance. For further information, please contact AEA’s Digital Media & Marketing Specialist, Gareth Ford via gareth.ford@aea.uk.com or on 01773 207607.

Honey Brothers, the dealership established in 1955 who specialise in forestry and arboricultural equipment, have opened a new, purpose-built premises in Peasmarsh near Guildford, Surrey.

In early March they held an Open Day to celebrate the occasion and to show off the new facility to customers old and new.

Director Martyn Day said, “The open day was a chance for us to share our brand new shop with our customers and to thank them for supporting us over the years. We created almost a mini trade show with exhibitors set up with stands outside and running demos such as chainsaw trouser tests and a climbing forum.

“Everyone who came enjoyed a burger and a beer and were able to speak to key suppliers such as Petzl, Husqvarna, Outwear and Stihl, see new products and share ideas.”

The new climbing area

Fellow director, Stu Girdler, added, “The new premises allows us to display a huge amount more of our product range and with the space it has given us the chance to create a climbing area for customers to test out ropes, hardware and harnesses. We also have a much larger serving counter to keep up with the increase in customer footfall and a fantastic new workshop so that we can service and repair machinery a lot more efficiently.

“In the future we are looking forward to hosting events, product demo days and climber meet ups, as our shop and outdoor areas now provide the ideal space. Here’s to the next 65 years!”

In order to minimise human contact and still provide a high level of service to customers, Claas UK has launched its Parts Doc electronic parts catalogue on its website for customers.

In order to minimise human contact and still provide a high level of service to customers, Claas UK has launched its Parts Doc electronic parts catalogue on its website for customers.

Available to users throughout the UK and Ireland, Parts Doc enables customers to identify any parts they require, which can then be ordered through their local dealership.

Parts Doc can be accessed either via the www.claas.co.uk or www.claas.ie websites where it can be found under the ‘Service + Parts’ – ‘Applications’ heading or directly via ‘www.claas.co.uk/service new/applications/spare-parts-catalogue’.

From here, having selected the machine type and model, the customer then needs to enter their machine’s serial number to bring up the appropriate machine sections, from which they can then identify the parts they require. For simplicity, instead of a long parts number, each part is given a simple drawing number.

Once they have found the parts they require, to order the parts required, the customer needs to contact their local Claas dealer and give them the machine model or serial number and appropriate drawing number for the part, which the dealer can then cross-reference to the full part number and advise on price and availability.

Once ordered by the dealer, the part will be dispatched from the central Claas UK Parts warehouse at Saxham for next day delivery to the dealership for collection by the customer. For parts that have to be dispatched from the company’s Parts Logistics Centre in Hamm, Germany, again, say Claas, the majority of these items will be delivered overnight direct to the dealership for next day collection.

Opico Ltd has announced the appointment of Louth Tractors to their Maschio Gaspardo dealer network.

L-R: David Day, product manager for Maschio Gaspardo in UK ‘elbow bumping’ with Philip Stephenson, agricultural sales manager, Louth Tractors

Louth Tractors has been in the business of providing Lincolnshire’s farmers with the latest agricultural machinery for over thirty years. Louth believe the addition of the full Maschio Gaspardo tillage line-up of ploughs, cultivators, drills, combination drills and rotovators, as well as the range of Maschio flail mowers strengthens their offering. With a depot on the outskirts of the town of Louth, they believe they are ideally positioned to grow the franchise in the North Lincolnshire area.

Commenting, Rob Immink, Maschio Gaspardo’s sales manager said, “We couldn’t be more delighted that Louth Tractors have chosen to sell and support the Maschio Gaspardo franchise. Louth Tractors are a well-known local business with a hard-earned reputation for quality and honest, family values.”

Philip Stephenson, agricultural sales manager, commented, “The area Louth Tractors covers is historically a strong area for Maschio products, parts and service. Our sales, service and parts teams are fully up-to-speed with the product range and are ready to get stuck in to demonstrating, selling and supporting the range.”

Below you can find some useful links for dealerships looking for government advice:

Further businesses and premises to close

Furloughing:

Employers guidance

Employees guidance

Further details

Other useful links:

BAGMA's Coronvirus Hub

NHS Volunteer Scheme

As most in the industry will know, Brian Radam’s British Lawnmower Museum regularly features in listings of the UK’s most unusual and quirky museums, alongside the likes of the Derwent Pencil Museum, the Dog Collar Museum and the House of Marbles.

Nonetheless, the display of over 200 machines from across the ages, attracts thousands of visitors to the museum above Brian’s retail shop in a modest side-street in Southport.

Now, Brian has written a new book which initially takes us back to Roman days when author Pliny the Younger is thought to be the first person to mention a grass lawn 2000 years ago. And for thousands of years, grass was cut using various forms of scythes in often back-breaking conditions.

That all famously changed in 1830 when Stroud engineer Edwin Budding, working as a textile engineer at Thrupp Mill, discovered that he could adapt a machine used to trim the nap from guardsman’s uniforms, to also trim the grass surrounding the mill.

Often trying out the machine at night to avoid the disparaging cries that branded his prototype as ‘lunacy’, Budding finally settled on a final design and obtained a patent in 1830. From there, things moved rapidly. In 1832, he sold the patent licence to Ransomes for the Ipswich-based farm machinery manufacturer to develop the design. Over the next 20 years, Ransomes produced 1500 machines, moving into the manufacture of petrol-powered machines in 1896.

From there, many other manufacturers saw the potential and names such as Shanks, Greens, JP, Allettt and Dennis entered the market.

However, it was the Atlas Chain Company founded by Charles H Pugh who adopted the brand name ATCO and did much to drive the popularity of lawnmowers in the early part of the 20th Century. In the 1920’s, the Atco Standard was regarded as the gardener’s best friend, but development was halted during WW2 as the production switched to the war effort.

Service heaven

By the 1950’s, production of lawnmowers really ramped up with Atco amongst the leading brands – and at the age of 15, Brian Radam became an apprentice at Charles H Pugh. The lawnmower business was not every boys dream career, he says, and in any case he was earning twice his weekly wage in one night playing in a rock band (probably why Brian, with a passing resemblance, was soon nicknamed Ringo by dealers on one of the fabled week long dealer trips to the AL-KO factory).

The Atco service centres were factory owned and provided a service to cylinder mowers that would today been regarded as excessive – and expensive. Collection, steam clean, strip down, immerse in caustic bath, replace worn engine parts such as piston, rings, crankshaft and conrod, re-bore cylinder if required, regrind cylinder and bottom blade, completely repaint, run and test, deliver back to customer and demonstrate – al with 12 month warranty.

It was a service managers dream, now from a by-gone and phased out in the late 1970s, as service responsibility switched to lawnmower specialists.

The book, then takes us on a tour of lawnmower development, from cylinder mowers through rotaries, hover machines, electric, battery power and onto the robotic mowers of today. Packed full of fascinating photographs, Brian Radam’s book is a fitting and comprehensive account of this quintessential and sometimes ridiculed piece of kit - but without which lawns, sportsgrounds, golf courses and parks would not exist in their present form.

Nor is the book without its cringy but oft used slogans like ‘What mower would you want?’, ‘All you need to mow’ and ‘You’ll be no mower alone once you’ve read this book!’

DETAILS

Rather aptly Lawnmowers is published by Amberley Publishing based in Stroud (the home of the lawnmower), priced at £14.99.

Ref: ISBN: 978 4456 9482 2 (print) and ISBN: 978 1 4456 9484 9 (ebook).

www.amberley-books.com

Kawasaki Engine Division is a market leading supplier to top-of-the-line professional and residential Turfcare Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) around the globe. We are offering a rare and exciting opportunity to lead the representation of Kawasaki to our OEMs and Distributors across Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA).

To aid further expansion, we are looking for applicants who should ideally have good experience leading business to business or technical sales teams. While Turfcare or Garden machinery industry experience would be beneficial, a proactive individual with a positive attitude looking to expand their sales leadership career into international markets would be ideal.

Key responsibilities;

• To plan and implement strategies to build sales & profitability within trading area.
• Effectively manage the field sales team while managing some key accounts directly
• Manage the Application Engineering to support installation projects.
• Lead sales budget planning and control
• Work closely with other departments to ensure full support to meet OEM’s and customer needs.

A good level of computer literacy is also essential.

While office based, regular travel is expected.

The position offers an attractive salary (based on experience) an annual bonus scheme and associated benefits package.

Applications; Interested applicants should send their CV and a covering letter to;

Nikki Gray, HR Specialist

NGray@Kawasaki.co.uk

Kress are proud to announce that we have nearly 50 dealers who have already signed up with us as stockists of our innovative range of Kress Mission robot mowers.

We would like to assure everyone that we are still open and operating from our warehouse, ready to ship orders as well as offer any necessary support during this challenging period of time.

We are contactable via telephone and email, please feel free to contact us:

tony.macer@positecgroup.com 07535146211 South / National

jenni.garford@positecgroup.com 07961052347 Central region

lee.wardell@positecgroup.com 07961050088 Northern region

Garden Trader is helping send quality leads to specialist garden machinery dealers in the UK.  It has been designed to  promote our dealer industry to consumers who are specifically searching for garden machinery products and services.

It is easy and quick to register and costs just £96 + VAT per year to be listed and all revenues in 2020 will be reinvested into promoting the site online.

Garden Trader

Join the country’s only independent specialist website, created by the team that bring you Service Dealer. Join our subscribed Garden Trader dealers now by clicking on “Register Dealership” and let's fight back against the zero value retailers.

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